Associations between physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness with vascular health phenotypes in older adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: We investigated the associations between physical activity (PA) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with vascular health phenotypes in community-dwelling older adults.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 82 participants (66.8 ± 5.2 years; 81% females). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed using accelerometers, and CRF was measured using the distance covered in the 6-min walk test (6MWT). The vascular health markers were as follows: i) arterial function measured as aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) estimated using an automatic blood pressure device; and ii) arterial structure measured as the common carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). Using a combination of normal cIMT and aPWV values, four groups of vascular health phenotypes were created: normal aPWV and cIMT, abnormal aPWV only, abnormal cIMT only, and abnormal aPWV and cIMT. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the beta coefficients (β) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) adjusting for BMI, and medication for diabetes, lipid, and hypertension, sex, age, and blood pressure.Results: Participants with abnormal aPWV and normal cIMT (β = −53.76; 95% CI = −97.73—−9.78 m; p = 0.017), and participants with both abnormal aPWV and cIMT (β = −71.89; 95% CI = −125.46—−18.31 m; p = 0.009) covered less distance in the 6MWT, although adjusting for age, sex and blood pressure decreased the strength of the association with only groups of abnormal aPWV and cIMT covering a lower 6MWT distance compared to participants with both normal aPWV and cIMT (β = −55.68 95% CI = −111.95–0.59; p = 0.052). No associations were observed between MVPA and the vascular health phenotypes.Conslusion: In summary, poor CRF, but not MVPA, is associated with the unhealthiest vascular health phenotype (abnormal aPWV/cIMT) in older adults.

Relationship between objectively measured physical activity and subclinical cardiovascular disease: a systematic review

“…Parsons et al found an association between increased SB and worse cIMT, while an inverse relationship was found between LPA and MVPA with cIMT, although MVPA did not have a stronger association than LPA 65. Several studies (n=5) found no relationship between cIMT and PA 20 49 73–75. Other studies ( n =4) found a negative association between cIMT and PA and/or a positive association between cIMT and SB, but not after adjusting for confounders 19 21 76 77.…”

“…In contrast, Gando et al suggested no relationship between arterial stiffness with VPA, while there was an inverse relationship for MPA and LPA in older subjects 43. Several studies found no relationship between higher intensity PA with arterial stiffness 23 44–49. Some studies investigated specific patient populations, with differing results for subsets of patients 50 51.…”